On the border of the West Bank, surrounded by deep purple vineyards and fields of poppies, lies a remote village where Jews and Palestinians live peacefully together. In the summer their children jump into the communal swimming pool together, in the winter they celebrate each other’s holidays together.
It sounds like the beginning of a fairy tale, like a fantasy world – especially since October 7, when the war between Israel and Hamas broke out. But this village really exists.
In 1970, a monk on a mission settled in what is now called Wahat al-Salam/Neve Shalom. He saw ‘a desert of conflict’ and wanted change, says Ed Dumrese of the town’s Dutch Friends Foundation. And so he founded ‘the Oasis of Peace’, which is the translation of the Arabic/Hebrew name of the village. Until 2010, the Hebrew name preceded the slash. But after forty years, the residents felt that it was Arabic’s turn to come first.
Of the 500 inhabitants, approximately half are Palestinian (with an Israeli passport) and the other half are Jewish Israeli. And the village keeps that balance that way on purpose. To be allowed to live there, you must be admitted by a selection committee. The most important criterion? You should not only want to live in Wahat al-Salam/Neve Shalom because of the large houses or the expansive views, but also really pursue the ideals of the village: equality, justice and peace for Jews and Palestinians. And so the committee looks for a deep preference for democracy and dialogue in applicants.
After a trial period, the residents vote whether a new resident can stay. Occasionally the village voted against, resident and spokesperson Samah Salaime told RTL News. “That person did not fit in well with the village, or thought more in boxes than we hoped.” But, says Salaime, in the vast majority of cases things go well.
Afraid and betrayed
And then came October 7. While the ideal of peace in such a deeply divided country has always been ‘hard work’, according to Salaime, the Hamas attacks and the subsequent Israeli air and ground attacks have increased tensions between the villagers, they say.
Almost all of them have family or friends outside the village. Jewish friends died in the attack on their kibbutz, Palestinian residents lose family in Gaza. “Especially in those first days, people felt scared and betrayed,” says Salaime.
‘The moment of truth’ has arrived for Wahat al-Salam/Neve Shalom, says Linda Rose Smit of the Dutch Friends Foundation. “The villagers are being tested in their desire for dialogue,” she says.
The friends’ foundation collects donations and thus supports the village. And so Dumrese and Smit keep close contact with the residents. “You can be of such good will and call for peace, but if you lose a family member, everything is suddenly very different,” says Smit. “They try very hard not to let their emotions overshadow the rational motives behind living together.”
The money raised by the friends’ foundation mainly goes to The School for Peace. The story of this educational institute shows how peace can never be taken for granted, not even in this village.
From all over the country, and even from all over the world, interested people with key positions in society come to this ‘school’, which provides training for peace activists. “The goal is to involve the outside world in the village, so that we can share our knowledge,” says director and resident Roi Silberberg.
During training it is about the group to which someone belongs, not about someone’s individual identity. For example, attention is paid to unequal power relations between Jews and Palestinians. Participants learn to think differently about their own identity and their relationship to other groups. “Outsiders then take our method back into society. In this way we try to increase our influence outside the village.”
Mutual peace
What is clear: the outside world is not always enthusiastic about the message of Wahat al-Salam/Neve Shalom. Three years ago, The School for Peace was set on fire. The institute has just been rebuilt.
Due to the war, Silberberg and other villagers used the new school in a different way than before. In addition to workshops for outsiders, the school now also organizes discussion sessions for the village community itself.
“Residents enter into discussions with each other under the guidance of a Jewish and Palestinian mediator,” Silberberg explains. “It is an open dialogue, where residents share their feelings and listen to each other.” One of the problems, according to Silberberg, is that villagers are disappointed that others do not sympathize enough with their pain. “The goal is not to change that disappointment, but to figure out where it comes from and how to keep it from affecting your relationships.”
And that is needed more than ever, Silberberg believes. “Our work is very crucial right now. We feel like we can make a difference. Or at least, we are doing our best.”
2023-12-03 15:26:54
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